Time Off

Indians, soldiers and ghosts of Camelot have docked on her marshy shores. Early 20th century millionaires built castles and commanding women protected their estates. The history of Cumberland Island reads like steamy, romantic fiction.
Now its mansions stand in ruin, with wild horses as their guests. But that doesn't mean there's nothing left to see or do here-far from it.

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olypmics countdown is on. Opening ceremonies take place on February 12, when tens of thousands of Olympic athletes, coaches, officials and organizers will be joined by hundreds of thousands of spectators at the BC Place Stadium in downtown Vancouver and the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort.

ON A PROMO FOR DISCOVERY HD THEATER'S Chasing Classic Cars, host Wayne Carini tells viewers, "I chase cars," his wry expression suggesting he has heard the one about the dog that chases cars but can't figure out why when it catches one. Unlike the dog, Carini has a shrewd nose for which cars to chase and knows exactly what to do with one when he runs it to ground.

"Do you realize more people have been to outer space," sputtered my friend Dave, "than have driven that car?" Of all of the reactions I got when word leaked out I'd be testing the brand-new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, his was my favorite. Dave's observation was closer to the truth than he realized.

The 11th staging of the Dubai Airshow will take place from November 15 to 19 at the Airport Expo Centre in Dubai, UAE. In past years the event has focused on military and commercial aviation, but business aviation has been making its presence felt. At the 2007 event (the show is held every two years) private and corporate jet sales reached $2.7 billion.

IT'S TOO COLD UP HERE to be a hotbed of golf. But Northland Country Club, on the western shore of Lake Superior, 150 miles above Minneapolis-St. Paul, is a gateway to the fabulous recreation area of the state's Boundary Waters region. Outdoor sports abound-not just hunting, fishing and boating, but also golf, at least during the five-month respite from winter.

While Africa brims with unspoiled landscapes written in big, bold strokes, Botswana's Okavango Delta proves especially dazzling. The 6,000-square-mile Delta is formed by the mighty Okavango, "the river that never finds the sea," which roars down from neighboring Angola and spills out into the sands of the perpetually barren Kalahari Desert.

Switzerland is a paradox. It features breathtakingly pristine mountain, glacier and lake scenery alongside splendidly engineered craftsmanship, as evidenced by its watchmakers and prompt trains. A microcosm of Europe, it includes regions where you'll hear the languages of Germany, France and Italy, and discover the food, architecture and lifestyles of all those countries.